Football Discussion | What difference will Guimaraes make to Arsenal?

Arsenal want to defend their title

Mikel Arteta made it clear in the immediate aftermath of their title triumph that ambition would be required to build on their success.

Author | DJ

It appears the club and board have backed him with the signing of Newcastle captain Bruno Guimaraes. This has got many Arsenal fans wondering about the difference that he will make to their side. 

Arsenal won the league for the first time in 22 years last season and reached the Champions League final, where they were beaten by Paris St-Germain.

But as soon as the campaign ended and the celebrations for their latest silverware were over, Arteta’s thoughts had already turned towards taking Arsenal to a “different dimension”.

With Brazil international Guimaraes set to become part of a new-look Arsenal midfield, the club believe they have signed a player capable of helping them do exactly that.

Arteta has long favoured players with Premier League experience who have demonstrated that they can handle the demands of competing at the highest level.

The arrival of the 28-year-old therefore takes Arsenal another step towards their ambition of building one of the best midfields in world football.

There are several reasons why Guimaraes emerged as the player Arteta felt could help ensure Arsenal are equipped to compete on multiple fronts.

The Gunners were badly affected by injuries last season and, despite spending £250m in the previous summer transfer window, a player’s durability has remained an important consideration when assessing potential signings.

Arsenal played 63 matches in all competitions last season and have also overhauled their medical department ahead of the new campaign.

How will Arsenal's midfield look in the upcoming season?

Christian Norgaard, who is set to move to Everton, was signed last summer but never earned Arteta’s full trust, making only seven league appearances and one start.

That placed considerable demands on Martin Zubimendi and Declan Rice, with the former eventually dropping out of the side altogether as the workload began to take its toll during the run-in.

Rice is returning from a World Cup campaign in which he helped England reach the semi-finals, having also played more minutes than any other Arsenal outfield player last season.

The midfielder has been managing a hamstring problem, although the rest is expected to have helped. Guimaraes’ arrival should mean there is no significant drop in quality when Arteta rotates his team, while also raising the overall ceiling of the midfield.

Arteta is renowned for demanding intensity in training and Guimaraes will now join a midfield that already includes Rice, Zubimendi, captain Martin Odegaard, Eberechi Eze, Mikel Merino, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri.